CDN (Content Delivery Network) Super Computers

The Telstra media team engaged TPS to design, supply, install and supply “super computers” that could be used to reliably play out streaming high-definition digital video. To fulfil this requirement, TPS worked with vendor Super Micro and developed customer firmware and drivers so that each computer “node” could operate 8 x Intel E8870 16 core processors, hundreds of Gigabytes of RAM, and that Petabytes of attached storage could communicate with 100G networks cards simultaneously across an expanded PCIe bus architecture.

Vendor VMWare also made modifications to their popular software to support the hardware configuration. Due to the vast quantity of hardware and resultant power supplies installed, a power inrush was experienced during initial node power-on sequences. To combat this inrush, TPS developed a time delay powering solution, whereby specified power outlets would “turn-on” in a specified grouping sequence, avoiding unwanted power in-rush. After completion and testing of the build, the hardware was deployed to Telstra’s Carlton equipment environment.